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Slow step
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 1:28 pm
by Rhay Flores 4K
How do you determine which step is the “slow step” in a reaction mechanism?
Re: Slow step
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 1:38 pm
by Arshiya
If it is not stated, find the rate of each of the elementary steps. The slowest rate should be the rate-determining step.
Re: Slow step
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 2:12 pm
by Kenan Kherallah 2C
Just to go along with what the person above said, if they tell you the activation energies, the slow step is the one with the higher or larger Ea
Re: Slow step
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 3:17 pm
by Margaret Akey
slow step is the one that matches the experimentally determined rate law
Re: Slow step
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2019 3:32 pm
by anthony_trieu2L
The addition, the slow step should not contain an intermediate as one of its reactants since it cannot appear in the rate law.